Conversations
by Crystabel.Shalott
Summary: It's bed time and the Bransons have a conversation about the future.


A/N: For** Sara**, spero tu ti riprenda presto.

Thank you, **Altenprano**, for the beta.

* * *

**Conversations**

When Tom went upstairs to his and Sybil's room, Sybil was already in bed. He was a little surprised to find her awake, after she had excused herself early in the evening, saying that she was exhausted and that she would go straight to bed.

"Still awake?" he asked.

"Apparently" replied Sybil, smiling, as she watched Tom get ready for bed "Your daughter's a bit restless today" she then added, placing her hand on her swollen belly.

"Takes after her parents. How are you darling?"

"Tired" Sybil answered with honesty "But it's not only because of the pregnancy, Tom. I can't stay here longer than necessary. I swear that if I have to hear papa treating me as an invalid again, I will go mad. Today he found out that we want to move out after the baby is born, and I'll leave the things he said to your imagination"

Tom chuckled as he sat down beside Sybil, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and helping her find a comfortable position that would allow her to rest her head on his chest. Knowing his father-in-law, he could easily imagine what had happened and what Sybil had been told. Apparently it was unimaginable for Robert to understand how two people wanted to escape from a life at Downton. How was it possible when Downton had everything they needed? Yes, thought Tom (and Sybil agreed with him), Downton had everything except the chance of living a _normal _life, like the one he and Sybil had had in Dublin. A life that was led on their terms and not on others'.

"Was it that bad?"

"No and I think he should just give up"

"He will never give up, Sybil"

"Well, that won't stop us anyway" she replied.

It had never stopped them, otherwise they wouldn't have been there, they wouldn't be married, with a child on the way.

"No it won't. Matthew offered me a job today" Tom blurted out.

"Hear, hear. What job?"

"He wants me to be the estate manager, it will be _temporary _until I find something else"

"Will you take it?"

"A part of me screams no, the other yes. I want to earn money, Sybil, for us. I'm tired of living off your parents, I want to do something with my days again. And maybe working for Downton's benefit isn't really my dream job, but it's a job nonetheless"

Sybil looked up at him, carefully changing her position so that she could face him. She raised her hand, caressing her husband's cheek before pulling back his fringe.

"Then accept it. if you want it to be something temporary, tell Matthew. He will understand and agree to it. I'm going to be on your side whatever your decision is going to be, and I will always bet on you"

"Thank you, darling"

"And Tom?"

"Yes?"

"Please make it clear that with the position you also want the estate manager's cottage, because we are going to leave this place and go back to our lives without having to follow my family's rules. The more distance we put between us and them, the better"

Tom laughed again, and then kissed Sybil's forehead a couple of times.

They lied there in silence for some time both of them thinking about the positive changes that were about to come. Yes, maybe the estate manager position wasn't Tom's dream job, maybe their lives would have been different from what they had been in Dublin, but that didn't mean that they couldn't adapt to the new situation and do the most of it all.

"It doesn't matter" whispered Sybil "What job you have, you will still be the same man I fell in love with. You will still be the man who handed me those pamphlets about the vote, who encouraged me to have opinions, who took me to the political rallies. Being the estate manager won't change that, never think otherwise, as dressing up for dinner didn't change that. I still love you as before, if not more"

"Oh my darling" replied Tom "I never thought that..."

"No" Sybil stopped him "I know that sometimes you thought that you had forgotten yourself, but you never had. Don't worry about that"

"Thank you, for telling me."

"You're welcome. Tom, would you do something for me?"

"Of course"

"Will you read something for me as I drift off to sleep?"

Keats, that's what she wanted to hear. Sybil knew that Tom wasn't really a fan of poetry but she liked hearing him read it, and Tom had never minded reading for her. But Keats's works also had a special meaning for them. Years earlier, when their friendship had started to blossom, they had started to discuss topics that weren't politics and poetry and literature had been one of the topics, and Sybil had talked about Keats with such a fondness that Tom had been convinced to give it a try.

"Which one?" Tom asked.

Sybil raised her head and looked him in the eyes, lightly tilting her head to the side (a habit that she had always had) as if to silently ask him _Are you serious?_

Tom chuckled before opening the poetry book, and starting to read what was Sybil's favorite.

"Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art —  
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night  
And watching, with eternal lids apart" Tom acted out, realizing that Sybil was mouthing all the words with him.

He went on, and by the time he finished the second piece, he realized that Sybil had indeed fallen asleep, her breathing regular and peaceful.

He closed the book, placing it back to the bedside table, turned of the light and placed on last kiss on Sybil's head before whispering _I do love you so much, _leaning back himself and closing his eyes too.


End file.
